Wardrobe lockers are installed in virtually every public and private school facility and in a variety of other locations such as train stations, bus depots and airports. The preferred locking system, especially in school facilities, is one that can be used with combination locks. Traditionally, the most commonly installed system has utilized a three point latching gravity bar. This is the type of a latching system having a long vertical internal locking member in the locker door which one operates by lifting an external handle which is attached to the locking member. Upon release of the handle, the locking member returns by gravity to its locking position. Typically, the locking member engages hook-shaped hardware mounted at three places on the door jamb. These latching systems are usually fabricated of a thin molded metal that cannot withstand years of continued abuse in today's school systems. Experience has indicated that the latch system is expensive to maintain because of the repair frequency. Manufacturers of the latch system are constantly changing their designs in an attempt to improve the performance of the locking mechanism and decrease the cost of repair and maintenance. Consequently, replacement parts are no longer available for some of the older models and the schools are faced with replacement of the entire latching system. In spite of determined efforts by locksmiths and locker manufacturers to provide a better locking handle system, the three point gravity latch remains the currently available standard.
In addition to maintenance and repair difficulties, the three point latch system does not provide adequate safeguards against vandalism. The adept and determined student can, without much difficulty, gain access to any locker by using a simple jimmying process.
I have discovered that the shortcomings of the prior art can be overcome by designing a new locker handle assembly. I have found that, if the three point gravity latch system is replaced by a one point slide bolt assembly, the maintenance and repair costs can be reduced significantly. Furthermore, the simplicity of my new design accompanied with the use of heavy duty materials provides a system that offers increased protection against vandalism. My invention is economical to produce and can be used in both new products and in repair programs to replace the more traditional latching systems. This new assembly requires no modification of design or special construction of the locker doors or of the locker frame. Installation is easily accomplished by cutting an opening of an appropriate size in the locker door. Once installed, the overall appearance of the locker door is improved because the recessed assembly results in a smooth, flush front.
More specifically, the locker handle assembly uses a recessed mounting receptacle, generally of a square or rectangular shape, that can be set into a locker door. A flange extends around the open end permitting the receptacle to be riveted securely to the locker door. Longitudinally extending slots are located on each of two opposite sides of the receptacle. A double slide bolt having two separate bars welded together at opposite ends and held apart sufficiently so that the front bar can pass through the longitudinal slots in front of the receptacle, while the back bar moves freely back and forth behind the receptacle. This type of double truss construction is much stronger than that using a single slide bolt. The length of the slide bolt is such that a predetermined portion of the slide bolt will extend beyond the receptacle to behind the locker door jamb when the slide bolt is located in its latched position. The slide bolt is provided with a handle that is welded perpendicularly to the front bar. The handle has a first lock receiving aperture which when aligned with a second lock receiving aperture of an L-shaped member attached to the receptacle, allows the entire assembly to be locked in a latched position by the insertion of a padlock through the aligned apertures. When the padlock is removed, the handle is used to guide the slide bolt into its unlatched position. Also, the handle extends outwardly enough so that it can be grasped in order to pull the locker door open.
One of the major objectives of this invention is to provide a locker handle assembly having a single latching system in order to reduce the maintenance and frequency of repair required by the prior art units.
Another objective is to provide a heavy duty locker handle that will effectively deter vandalism.
It is yet another objective of this invention to produce a locker handle assembly that can be used to replace the worn out or damaged traditional locker handles without having to replace the entire locker itself.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a locker assembly that is completely recessed to give a modern flush front appearance to the old lockers.
And finally, a further object of the invention is to provide a new assembly that would overcome the difficulties of the prior art and also be economical to produce.